Folding umbrella



E. A. OSTMAN.

- FOLDING UMBRELLA.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I2. I92I.

lg@ Patented Nov. 21, 1922.,

INVENTOR: 522i asf/ffm? Patented Nov. 21, 1922.

Nt FS FOLDING UIVIBRELLA.

Application filed February 12, 1921.

To all @c 7mm t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ERIK A. Os'rMAN, a citizen of the United States, residingat Port Ludlow, in the countyl of Kitsap and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvement in Folding Umbrellas, of which the following is a specication.

rThis invention relates to foldable umbrellas; and its object is the perfecting of umbrellas of this character to afford a neat appearing, strong and efficient device which may be conveniently and rapidly transformed from its operative into its folded conditions, or vice versa.

With these ends in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, adaptation and combination of parts as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

1n the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of an umbrella frame in its extended position embodying` the present invention. F ig. 2 is a similar view of a part of the frame shown folded. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing my improved connections between the adjacent ends of a pair of complementary rib members. Fig. 4 is an underside plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views through 5 5 and 6-6 of Fig. 3.

The umbrella stick as shown comprises two parts 10 and 101 separably connected as by means of a screw threaded tang 11 provided on one of the parts engaging in a threaded socket in the other part. 12 represents the notch rigidly connected to the stick part 10 adjacent to its outer end and 13 is the runner.

Pivotally connected by a wire 14 to said notch piece is a plurality of ribs, one being shown, each rib comprises two rod members 15 and 16 of the usual U type which are foldably coupled by a link 17 connected to the respective members by pivotal pins 13. Slidable upon the said rib is a sleeve 19 hav ing at about its midlength depending ears 20 to which the outer end of a brace21 is pivotally connected.

The inner end of said brace is, in like manner, connected to a runner 13 which is movable longitudinally upon said stick as usual.

The sleeve 19 is formed at one end with a socket 24 which is freely slidable over both the rib parts 15 and 16 and also over the serial no. trasse.

link 17, while at the other end the sleeve is formed with wing elements 25 which are folded about the rib flanges 151 and extend into the channel 152 therebetween to afford stops which are engageable with a shoulder 15a (Fig. 3) provided at the end of said channel to limit the outward travel of the sleeve. With the sleeve 19 thus located and the inner end of the rib member 16 sheathed therein, a lever latch 26 positioned between the ears 20 serves to engage against a shoulder 161 at the adjacent end of the channel of the member 16 to prevent the sleeve being accidentally displaced.

27 represents a leaf spring having one of its ends secured to the sleeve and is adapted to have its other end act against the arm 261 of said latch to yieldingly retain the same in its engaged position. To disconnect the sleeve from the rib member 16, the operator first pushes with his finger against the arm 261 to disengage the latch and then shifts the sleeve inwardly upon the rib member 15.

When the sleeves 19 of the various ribs are in positions corresponding to the one shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the associated rib members are united in axial alignment and the umbrella may! be opened or closed by moving the runner up or down upon the stick as usual.

To fold the ribs the runner 13 is first moved downwardly on the stick to a short distance below the position in which it is illustrated in Fig. 1 so that the tension of the cloth fabric (not shown) will be obviated, The operator thereupon disengages the latch of each sleeve and slides them, in turn, a short way up the respective rib members 15. Vhen thus regulated the operator shifts the runner further down the stick thereby causing all of the braces to be brought into substantially parallel relations with the stick and, finally, by shoving the runner upwardly on the stick all of the sleeves 19 are brought into proximity to the notch piece 12 corresponding to the one shown in Fig. 2.

The stick part 101 may then be disconnected from the other stick part 10 to enable the umbrella to be packed in a small space.

What I claim is,-

1. In a folding umbrella, the combination with a separable stick having a notchpiece, ay runnermounted thereon, braces conof said ribs comprising an inner member and nected to said runner and a plurality of ribs pivotally connected to said notch-piece, each an outer member of substantially Ushape in transverse sections, link elements pivoted to the adjacent ends of the respective members, sleeves slidably mounted upon one member and engageable with the comple mentary member of the respective ribs said sleeves being formed with an opening at one end through which the complementary rib members are slidable, the other end of said sleeves having Wing elements engageable over the side `flanges of the inner of said rib lnen'ibers and serving with a shoulder provided in the latter to limit the outward travel of the sleeves, and spring pressed latches secured to said sleeves and engageable With shoulders provided in the outer of said rib members.

2. In an umbrella frame, the combination with a rib comprising two parts hingedlyl` connected together, said rib parts being each provided with a shoulder of a sleeve slidably connected to both of said rib parts and provided with a stop integral with the sleeve and engageable against the shoulder of one of the rib parts to prevent the removal of the sleeve'from such rib part, and a spring controlled latch engageable with the shoulder of the other of said parts for releasablj/v retaining the sleeve in operative position with respect to both of the rib parts.

Signed at Seattle, lllashington, this 23rd day of December, 1920.

ERIK A. OSTMAN.

lVtnesses PmRRE BARNES, MARGARET G. SUPPLE. 

